It pains me to see customers spending hundreds of dollars on new plants and simultaneously refusing to spend a few more on a bag or two of compost and a box of starter fertilizer. These two items are not unnecessary “add-ons” that the retailer is just trying to add to the sale, they are critical components of a successful transplanting process - or as I like to refer to them as “plant insurance”. Unless you have phenomenal soil, you should always add compost and starter fertilizers when you are planting new plants. Here is why…
Something I truly enjoy when strolling through any garden are surprises, simple unexpected treasures that catch my eye and bring a smile to my face. I come around a corner, or peer down a pathway, or even look behind an old tree and exclaim “Ooooo… and what do we have here?” These focal points can be…
June has officially arrived, and as we head toward the Summer Solstice it means gardeners have some extra daylight for frivolities in the garden. More importantly, we celebrate Pollinator Month (with National Pollinator Week June 17th-23rd as a highlight), a campaign created by the Pollinator Partnership to create harmony between us humans and nature. We all need to pause and give thanks to…
The Golfing Gardener
Trevor Cameron
At some point each spring I have to pay homage to our Washington state flower, the Rhododendron. We are in the midst of April and heading towards May soon, which means that the glorious time of year has arrived for Rhodies to shine in all of our landscapes…